Sugar-drying machine.



W. H. HANNAM & W. E. MURRAY.

SUGAR DRYING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION'FILED JUNE 22 1911. 1,019,959. Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Wh'eases S Gwm W. H..HANNAM & W. E. MURRAY.

SUGAR DRYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 1911'. I 1,019,959, Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. HANNAM AND WARREN E. MURRAY, 0F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS 'IO WESTERN SUGAR REFINING COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALI- FORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

SUGAR-DRYING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, VVILLIAM H. HAN- NAM and WARREN E. MURRAY, citizens of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sugar-Drying Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved machine for the drying of sugar for expelling moisture therefrom as passed through a suitable drier, thesugar being propelled over a fiited meshed covering for a hot air chamber, into which chamber heated air is delivered under pressure and forced therefrom through the meshed covering for the drying of the sugar propelled thereover in a comparatively thin layer, the escaping hot air working through the body of sugar and escaping from the drying chamber through screened outlets.

To comprehend the invention reference should be had to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a broken longitudinal sectional view of the improved machine, illustrating the endless conveyer for propelling the sugar through the drying chamber, the means for delivering heated'air into the air receiving chamber, and the hinged devices for evening or leveling the sugar as carried over the meshed covering for the heat receiving chamber. Fig. 2 is a detail broken side view disclosing the position of the endless conveyer relative to the meshed or screened covering for the heat receiving chamber, and the position of the hinged devices for spreading or leveling the sugar on the surface of the screened covering. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional end view of the drier viewed from the I discharge end thereof. Fig. 4 is an enlarged broken detail sectional elevation illustrating the manner of securing the screened or meshed covering for the hot air chamber, the position of one of the supporting cross pieces for the lower run of the endless conveyer, and the position of one of the hinged cross blades for spreading or leveling the sugar.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 is used to designate any suitable form of a drier, the interior of which constitutes a drying cham- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 22, 1911.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912. Serial No. 634,768.

her 2. Through this chamber extends a pair of upper cross shafts 3and 3, and a pair of lower cross shafts 4: and 4., on each of which are secured a pair of sprocket wheels 5 and 5, over which work the endless sprocket chains 6 and 6, connected by a series of spaced cross pieces or slots 7 These cross pieces and the sprocket chains 6 and 6 constitute the endless conveyer for the sugar to be dried, the travel of said conveyer being readily understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings.

Vithin the bottom portion of the drying chamber 2 is formed a heat receiving chamher 7, into which heated air is delivered from the blower 8 through the conduit 8'. The said chamber 7' is covered or closed by a wire screen 9, the mesh of which is of such fineness as to prevent the sugar crystals passing therethrough as carried over the same. This screen 9 is secured to the frame pieces 9, supported by the longitudinally disposed strips 10, and over the surface thereof works or travels the under run of the endless conveyer, the lower edge of the cross pieces or propelling strips 7 of which come within a slight distance of the upper surface of the said screen 9, the outer end of the cross pieces or propelling strips resting on and being supported by the longitudinally disposed side pieces 11. The frame pieces 9 and the wirescreen 9 constitute a meshed frame covering for the chamber 7, the heat or hot air delivered therein escaping through the openings of the screen 9 into the drying chamber 2.

Immediately above the lower run of the endless conveyer a series of transversely disposed spaced leveling blades or spreaders 12 are arranged, each being hinged at 12 to the plates 13 secured to the side walls of the drier within the drying chamber 2. These cross blades are hinged to swing forwardly on pressure applied to the rear face thereof, and the purpose thereof is to prevent the sugar being propelled over the surface of the screen 9 banking or forming in mounds, the said blades maintaining the same level or evenly spread in order to provide a layer of sugar of substantially uniform depth.

The sugar to be dried is delivered into the drying chamber by means of the hopper 14, in the bottom of which is located any suitable form of a feeding device 14 for removing the sugar and forcing the same through the contracted outlet 15 onto the surface of the screen 9. As discharged onto the screen covering 9, the sugar is conveyed or propelled forwardly by the cross pieces 7 carried by the endless sprocket chains as the under run thereof works over the surface of said screen. During such movement of the sugar which is spread out in a comparatively thin layer over the surface of the screen, the same is subjected to the action of the heated air passing through the same as escaping from the chamber 7 into the drying chamber 2, the heat of which is suflicient to expel all moisture therefrom, so that by the time the sugar is forced over the forward end of the screen 9 into the discharge chute or runway 16, the same will be in a perfectly dry state. In case the sugar should tend to form in mounds between the cross pieces or drags 7 of the endless conveyor, the same will be carried against the inner wall surface of the spreaders 12 and be thus leveled or evenly spread between the said cross pieces or drags 7, the spreader 12 being hinged will give or swing forwardly on the pressure thereagainst, the weight thereof gradually restoring the same to normal position. During the course of the travel of the sugar over the surface of the screen 9, the fine powdered portions thereof will sift through the openings thereof and gradually accumulate with in the chamber 7, being forced to the for ward end thereof by the pressure of the inflowing heated air. Such fine sugar is removed from the said chamber by the worm screw 17 extended therein, which conveys the same toward the discharge runway 16. The worm screw is driven in any suitable manner, preferably by a power belt working over the belt pulley 18 mounted on the drive shaft thereof outside of the drier 1.

Motion is imparted to the endless conveyer by a drive chain working over a sprocket gear 20 secured to the cross shaft 4: extended outside of the drier, saidshaft at constituting the drive shaft for the conveyer.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is 1. In a machine for the described purpose, the combination with a drying structure provided with an interior drying chamber and a receiving chamber, of a carrier working within the drying chamber consisting of endless traveling chains or belts carrying a plurality of spaced transverse cross-pieces or drags, a screen covering for the receiving chamber, a plurality of spaced transversely disposed spreader blades suspended within the drying chamber a given distance above the screen covering, means for forcing heated air into the receiving chamber, devices for imparting movement to the endless traveling conveyer, and means for delivering sugar to be dried onto the screen covering.

2. In a machine for the described purpose, the combination with a drying structure provided with a drying chamber and a receiving chamber, of means for supplying heated air to the last mentioned chamber, a screen covering for said chamber, a feeder for delivering sugar to be dried onto the surface of the screen covering, devices for propelling the sugar thereover, and a plurality of transversely disposed spaced spreader blades suspended within the drying chamber above the said screen covering.

3. In a machine for the described purpose, the combination with a drying structure provided with an interior drying chamber and a receiving chamber, of a screen covering for the last mentioned chamber, means for supplying heated air into said chamber, devices for propelling sugar to be dried over the surface of the screen covering for the receiving chamber, and means working within said chamber for removing fine sugar therefrom.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H/ HANNAM. WARREN E. MURRAY.

Witnesses N. A. AoKER,

D. B. RICHARDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 4

Washington, I). G. 

